HOUSE prices in York have increased ahead of the national average this summer - as young professionals seek to move to the city.

New figures show property prices in York are rising faster than the UK average with sales in York agreed in just 27 days on average.

Research from Zoopla shows the average house price in York is now £250,000, with prices rising by three per cent in the last 12 months, ahead of the national average of 2.5 per cent.

However, the company RightMove recorded an even higher increase, with the average asking price in York now £305,634 - an increase of six per cent in a year and 23 per cent in five years.

Demand from buyers for homes in York has also risen by 28 per cent in the last year - with three-bed semi-detached houses now the most-searched-for properties in York.

Meanwhile, the average rent for a property in York is currently £830 per calendar month.

Ben Hudson, managing director of estate agents Hudson Moody in York, said that coronavirus and the rise of people now working from home has led to increased demand in the city.

He said: “York is on the East Coast Main Line and has great connectivity to other large cities such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

“With the rise of working from home, the increasingly established tech centre in York, and the news that York could become a government hub in the north, the city is seeing further demand which is increasing prices.

“And, young professionals who would have formerly tried to live in London are now looking for a better quality of life, in cities like York.

"York also has a limited supply of housing and this is reflective in the rise in prices.”

Rightmove’s property expert Miles Shipside said: “York is consistently in the top five most searched for places to live on Rightmove, and this demand has been helping to push up prices for homeowners over the past five years. More recently, the increase in demand for bigger houses plus the added stamp duty holiday incentive has led to an uplift of 28 per cent in the number of sales that were agreed in August compared to the same time last year.”